Calcutta (AsiaNews/SCMP) - Bhutan has accused China of plundering its border region for cordyceps - an exorbitantly priced mushroom believed to have aphrodisiac properties. Kuensal, the Himalayan kingdom's sole newspaper, reported that several lawmakers urged the government to take immediate steps to stop the looting of prized cordyceps by Chinese gangs.
The fungus, apparently discovered 1,500 years ago by herdsmen grazing yaks in the harsh Himalayan terrain, now commands US0 per kilogram on the international market. Besides China and Bhutan, where it is in great demand as an aphrodisiac and tonic herb, it is also marketed in the west. Pharmanex, a Californian firm, produces CordyMax derived from the famed mushroom. The company claims CordyMax "enhances aerobic exercise capability and alleviating fatigue in healthy humans".
A lawmaker, quoted by Kuensal, said: "The number of people coming from across the border to collect cordyceps has greatly increased over the last few years." He and other lawmakers demanded the deployment of additional security forces along the border to stop the illegal entry of people. They accused China of clandestinely occupying Bhutanese land and illegally building roads.
Sandwiched between China and India, Bhutan is virtually an Indian protectorate. New Delhi controls Bhutan's defence and foreign relations. Significantly, the landlocked Buddhist country does not have diplomatic ties with Beijing.
But Bhutan and China, which share a 470 km border, have held several rounds of negotiations since 1984 to resolve a territorial dispute. In 1998, China signed an agreement with Bhutan pledging to "maintain peace and tranquility" along the border and "fully respect the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Bhutan".